Weight Loss Articles

Almost all types of surgery have risks factors of some form or another. This applies to gastric bypass surgery as well; it has its fair share of risks too. However, a severely overweight person faces a greater risk when he or she undergoes a gastric bypass surgery. The risks are higher for such patients than they would be for a person with a normal body weight.

The risk of a gastric bypass surgery is essentially because of complications arising during the surgery process. Things can get out of hand, creating serious problems -- often without a good medical reason. Having an abdominal operation puts a lot of stress on the body. It creates an open wound that can bleed or fail to heal. This may give way to infection. The emergency reaction of the body to injury can itself be harmful. It may cause reactions such as increased clotting of blood that can lead to fatal pulmonary embolism.

The risks faced by patients undergoing gastric bypass surgery are of two types. The first are the risks that occur during the operation or the recuperation period. These include lung problems such as pneumonia, atelectasis, and pulmonary embolism. Other commonly faced problems are abscess, wound and urinary tract infections, bleeding due to heparin effect or hemorrhage and obstruction or leakage of the bowel connections. Since blood transfusion may be required, some patients may acquire diseases transmitted through the blood, such as AIDS. In certain cases, chronic nutritional problems due vitamin, mineral or protein deficiency are also seen. These risks are a part of the surgery process and may happen in almost any surgical procedure.

The second type of risks involves side effects of the surgical procedure itself. These may include nausea, changed bowel habits, transient hair loss and loss of muscle mass. Intolerance to food -stuff such as red meats, sugar, milk and milk products are also seen in some cases. Although they are less serious than the surgical complications, they may be permanent, and may require a change in lifestyle, to avoid continuing discomfort.